Enlarge image
Tesla boss Elon Musk: Currently looking for an investment location in Asia
Photo:
Patrick Pleul / picture alliance / dpa / dpa central image
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has asked Tesla boss Elon Musk to build an electric car factory in the East Asian country.
South Korea has world-class investment conditions and "a world-class industrial vehicle ecosystem," Yoon said in an online conversation with Musk on Wednesday, according to his office.
Musk replied that he sees South Korea as one of the top candidates for investment locations.
He will make a decision after reviewing investment conditions in other Asian countries, including the labor market and manufacturing environment.
According to the information, the head of the American electric car manufacturer also expressed the intention to invest in the charging infrastructure in South Korea.
Tesla is already being supplied with components for autonomous driving and artificial intelligence from South Korea.
His company expects shipments from South Korea to be worth more than $10 billion next year.
recalls and investigations
Tesla had recently hit the headlines due to increased technical problems.
The group announced the recall of 321,000 vehicles in the USA because the taillights on some models sometimes did not come on.
It was the fourth recall in the country within a month.
In addition, the fatal odyssey of a Tesla Model Y in a southern Chinese province recently became known.
According to the authorities, it is still unclear whether this is due to a software error or human error.
In the USA, the group is apparently threatened with criminal investigations because of misleading statements about the autopilot.
Elon Musk himself is currently in focus because of his takeover of the short message service Twitter.
Critics accuse Musk of chaotic management and poor treatment of the group's employees.
sol/dpa
